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In my mind there is no question that big data is the buzzword of 2012. Everyone from CEO’s to tech geeks are batting the term around like it’s the answer to all of the World’s problems. A few brave naysayers have said, “Big Data? Big deal…”, but for the most part there is a sense of excitement over what is possible with all of the terabytes of data that are collected daily. Though much of the energy is business and profit driven, there are also many data scientists who are passionate about using big data for the greater good. One such start-up, DataKind, is endeavoring to match the skills of data scientists with non-profits who could benefit from their expertise with big data. To date they have sponsored eight Data Dives in various parts of the country where they match up non-profit social organizations with volunteer data scientists who spend a weekend tackling their data challenges.

One such event generated this map of storm surge risk in NYC. As this was created in September it proved to be prophetic in determining the outcome of Hurricane Sandy the following month!

NYC Data Drive

DataKind founder Nate Porway, who was named a National Geographic Emerging Explorer for 2012, believes that this is a match that has been waiting to happen, “We’re connecting nonprofits, NGOs, and other data-rich social change organizations with data scientists willing to donate their time and knowledge to solve social, environmental, and community problems. Data is like a bucket of crude oil. Potentially great, but only if someone knows how to refine it (data scientists) and someone else has vehicles that will run on it (the social sector).”

A recent white paper from the World Economic Forum highlights the ways in which big data can have a big impact (I’m learning that people love to find other words to attach big to when they are writing about big data!) on international and social development.

This is all well and good but as as blogger Zach Gemignani wrote recently, “All the work of collecting, combining, and modeling data is wasted if not enough attention is paid to how the data is shared. The data needs to be transformed into bite-sized (pre-chewed, even) stories that can easily stick in the brains of your audience.”

In other words the excitement over big data’s potential for change needs to be combined with practical and usable applications. Organizations like DataKind, which has started to inspire spin-offs on college campuses across the country, can be instrumental in helping this ideal to become reality.

This quote, from Associated Press Editor-At-Large Ted Anthony, could be about librarians or even a treatise on human nature in general. Instead it is used to describe an ambitious multifaceted project from prolific photographer Rick Smolan, who is best known for his work on the “Day in the Life” series of photo collections. The Human Face of Big Data, which was released on December 4th and will soon be followed by a documentary, captures in photos and short articles the essence of big data real-world and personal applications.

In the book, big data is defined as the real time collection, analyses, and visualization of vast amounts of the information. “In the hands of data scientists this raw information is fueling a revolution which many people believe may have as big an impact on humanity going forward as the Internet has over the past two decades. Its enable us to sense, measure, and understand aspects of our existence in ways never before possible.” Amazon. The following interview with the author provides some great background information.

In addition to the book, a free mobile app has been launched, “to help you learn about yourself, how you compare to others, and what your phone can tell you about your life. Compare answers about yourself, your family, trust, sleep, sex, dating, and dreams with millions of others around the world. Find your Data Doppelganger. Map your daily footprint, share what brings you luck, and get a glimpse into the one thing people want to experience during their lifetime.”http://humanfaceofbigdata.com/about/

In less than two months, more than 3 million share and compare questions have been answered, in more than 100 countries. Through the app some interesting data insights have been extrapolated. Check them out!

This is a cool project and I look forward to watching the documentary when it comes out. In addition, the results of a worldwide, user submitted video contest will be coming out shortly which will undoubtedly provide us with some awesome snapshots of the “Human Face of Big Data”.